Nissan aims for 30% of truck market

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd, distributor of Nissan vehicles in Malaysia, wants to capture 30% of the 4X4 double-cabin diesel market with its Nissan Frontier and Nissan Navara sport utility trucks.

Executive director Datuk Dr Ang Bon Beng said the Malaysian 4X4 double-cabin diesel market currently comprised 51% and 49% of manual and automatic transmission vehicles respectively.

He said its manual transmission-only Nissan Frontier, which was launched in 2004, currently held 18% of the manual 4X4 double-cabin diesel market.

"With the Navara, we want to capture at least 12% of the market by next year," he told us after the Navara launch recently.

Ang said the company had already received nearly 300 bookings for the 2.5-litre, five-speed automatic transmission Navara, priced from RM103,721 on-the-road.

Ang said the truck was targeted at affluent customers and was ideal for both passenger and commercial use.

Going forward, he said the company was optimistic of securing higher sales than last year despite a slowdown in the automotive industry.

"We sold about 17,000 units last year. This year we target to sell up to 30,000 units, with 40% comprising the Grand Livina.

"Going forward, there will be a some slowdown in the automotive industry but we believe that we can sustain sales," he added.

On whether stringent hire purchase loans were affecting its sales, Ang said: "Most of our customers are above 40 years old and quite well-off, so we do not see an impact on our sales."

Meanwhile, Edaran Tan Chong in a joint effort with Nissan Motor Co Ltd, launched the Nissan Technology Square exhibition at the One Utama Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya yesterday.

The exhibition, which ends on Sunday, will showcase some of Nissan’s latest innovations in technology, environmental awareness and road safety.

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